The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned five suspects allegedly linked to the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Imo State, following intelligence-led operations in Rivers and Abia states.
The incident occurred on October 1, 2026, along the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway in Imo State. The victims were travelling in two commercial buses from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their assigned NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom when armed men intercepted the vehicles and abducted them.
The victims were rescued on October 7 at Amakohia-Ubi in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, following a security operation. They were subsequently taken for medical attention and further checks.
The DSS arrested the five suspects during intelligence-led operations conducted between October 10 and 14 in Rivers and Abia states. Three other suspects reportedly escaped during the operations with gunshot injuries, prompting a search for the fleeing suspects.
